Indiana University Kelley School of Business
3 required essays, 1 optional for the 2026-27 cycle.
Deadlines
| Round | Date |
|---|---|
| Round 1 | October 15, 2026 |
| Round 2 | January 5, 2027 |
| Round 3 | March 1, 2027 |
| Round 4 | April 15, 2027 |
Essays
Goals essay · 500 words · required
Discuss your immediate post-MBA professional goals. How will your professional experience, when combined with a Kelley MBA degree, allow you to achieve these goals? Should the short-term goals you have identified not materialize, what alternate career paths might you consider?
Program supplement · 300 words · required
Respond to one of the following short essay prompts. a. My greatest memory is... b. I'm most afraid of... c. My greatest challenge has been... d. I'm most proud of...
Program supplement · 25 words · required
Share a brief fact about yourself that your classmates would find interesting, surprising, or noteworthy.
Program supplement · 300 words · optional
Optional: Is there anything else that you think we should know as we evaluate your application? If you believe your credentials and essays represent you fairly, you shouldn't feel obligated to answer this question.
Prompts come from Kelley's own essays PDF (linked from kelley.iu.edu/programs/full-time-mba/admissions/process-timeline.html); the PDF carries no cycle label. Deadlines page lists month/day only with no year: each round has a Phase 1 (early materials: Oct 1, Dec 15, Feb 15, Apr 1) and a Phase 2 full-application date; the Phase 2 dates are recorded here with 2026/2027 years inferred. KAAP deadline June 1. No reapplicant essay. Same prompts as prior cycle.
Checked against kelley.iu.edu/doc/bloomington/full-time-mba/kelley-full-time-mba-essays.pdf on September 9, 2026. Programs change their prompts between cycles; confirm on the program’s own page before you submit.
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Pick which of Kelley’s prompts it answers. The first look is free.
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Common questions
- How many essays does Indiana University Kelley School of Business require for 2026-27?
- 3 required and 1 optional, 4 in total. Every prompt is listed on this page word for word, with the length each one states.
- How long should the Kelley essays be?
- 500 words. That is the length the program states on its own page, which this record was read from on September 9, 2026.
- When is the Kelley 2026-27 deadline?
- Round 1: October 15, 2026. 3 other rounds are listed on this page.